Combined chair and cane



(No Model.)

A. iE. SPRINGSTED.

GOMBINBD CHAIR AND GANE.

N0.-5'74,011 Patented Dec. 29, `1896.

WlT/VESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

ARTHUR E. SPRINGSTED,IOF'BLUFF'FON, INDIANA.

COMBINED CHAIR AND CANE.

4 SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,011,vdated December 29, 1896. Application led March 23, 1896. lSerial No. 584,407. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. SPRINesTED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bludton, in the county of Wells, in the State of Indiana,- have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Chair and Cane; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in combined chairs and canes.

The object of my invention is to provide a neat, comfortable, and substantial portable chair so constructed and arranged that its pivoted sections are adapted to be readily compressed into the compact and convenient form of a walking-stick or cane.

My invention comprises two pairs of hollow metallic standards, the membersof each pair being pivotally united by a tongs joint or hinge, and the said pairs being connected near one extremity by pivotal links, whereby the said standards can all be compressed into the compact form of a cane and when extended are adapted to form an interlocking union, with the parts so arranged that the upper portion of the cane willform the supporting-legs of a substantial chair and the lower portion thereof form the back and seat frames of said chair.

View of the same with the seat fabric removed.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the pivoted standards arranged and secured in the form of a cane. Fig. 4 is a front view of Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6, 7,

tallic tubing, such as is usually employed in bicycleframes, preferably one-half inch in diameter, and are provided at one end with a proper handle 8. These standards are pivotally united by a proper tongs-joint, as seen in Fig. 3, the said joint being arranged nearest the end having the said handle 8, for the reason that the front supporting-legs should be shorter than the back legs. On the forward end of the pivot that unites the said standards l and 2 is loosely mounted the centrallyapertured plate l0, adapted to engage and support the interlocking pair of standards hereinafter described.

The upper ends of the said standards l and 2 are connected by a telescoping rod or section 7, having upon its ends the pivoted short cylindricalarms ll and l2, respectively, Figs. 5, 7, and 8. The pivoted arm 12 is provided with an annular flange 15 near its upper end, adapted to engage a terminal annular flange 16 upon the upper end of one of the said standards land 2, thereby preventing the complete withdrawal of said rod, but permitting the free telescoping of said rod into the hollow standard l, in which it is mounted'. The said pivoted arm ll upon the other end of the said rod 7 is adapted to be loosely mounted in the upper end of the standard 2 for the purpose of bracing said standards laterally and for securing the upper Vend of the fabric 9, hereinafter described. The standards 3 and 4 are also made of the same size metal tubing used in the said standards l and 2, and they are also pivotally united at a proper distance from theirendsbyatongsjointorhinge. Asshown in Fig. 2, the lower end ofthe standard l is pivotally connected to the rear end of the standard 3 by the short metallicstrap 5 and the lower end of the standard 2 is pivotally connected to the rear end of the standard 4 by the me tallic strap 5. Both pairs of standards are Aof course solid at that portion forming the tongs-joint, but not elsewhere. The standards 3 and 4, thus pivotally united and loosely IOO connected with the said standards 1 and 2, are adapted for a locked engagement therewith by so mounting the forward portion of the said standards 3 and 4 upon the supporting trans verse plate l0 as to embrace the said standards 1 and 2 at or near their junction, thus making a firm substantial chair-frame, in which position the two pairs of standards are approximately at right angles to each other.

In the forward end of the standard 3 is loosely fixed a telescoping rod G, having upon its extremities pivoted short arms 13 and 14, in all respects similar to the said arms 11 and 12, heretofore described, and is prevented from withdrawal from the said standard 3 by the engagement of an annular flange, like 15, upon the arm 13, with an inner terminal flange, like 1G, on the forward end of the standard 3. The arm 14 upon the outer end of the said rod G'is loosely mounted in the open forward end of the standard 4.

The fabric 9, Fig. 1, of proper dimensions and of suitable light but strong material, is detachably mounted upon the chair-frame thus described by slipping the said rods 6 and 7 through a proper loop in the respective ends thereof in a well-understood manner. The said fabric 9, thus secured, forms a comfortable, iiexible, and substantial seat and back for the said chair.

It is obvious that my improvement is susceptible of numerous modifications inthe details of construction without departing` from the spirit of my invention. For example, in lieu of the pivotal plate 10 a pair of integral lateral lugs upon the standards 1 and 2 or both at their point of union may be substituted for the support of thc interlocking standards S and 4.

The construction and arrangement of the said telescoping rods 6 and 7 are not vital features of my invention and may be variously modified.

The manner of usingmy improvement thus described is, briefly stated, as follows: 'Vhen it is desired to convert my invention from a walking-stick or cane into a chair, it is first inverted. The upper ends of the standards 1 and 2 are then spread apart, the links 5 being carried out by the spreading standards, and the standards 3 and 4 are then made to straddle standards 1 and 2 and turning upon their pivoted connections with the links so that the said standards 3 and 4 will rest upon and be supported by the said plate 10 or equivalent device thereby assume the proper position for use as a chair. Both pairs of standards are then spread to their fullest extent and thus firmly interloeked. The said rods G and 7 are next withdrawn from their telescoped position, placed in the end loops of the fabric 9, respectively, and then secured in position by inserting the pivotal arms on the free ends thereof in their respective standards, as described. It will then be in position for use as a chair, the weight of the occupant on the seat fabric 9 being sufficient to firmly secure the said arms 11 and 14 in position in their respective standards.

To replace the chair-sections in their portable and compact position of a cane, the fabric 9 is first removed from the said rods G and 7, which are then telescoped in their respective standards and secured therein in any proper manner. The two pairs of standards are next disengaged from their locked position, and all of the said standards are then readily brought into parallel relation in a compact form (seen in Figs. 3 and 4) and are rigidly secured in such position by the spring-clasps 13, so fixed upon the sides of the standards 1 and 2 as to iirmly clasp the upper ends of the standards 3 and 4. The said fabric 9 is then wrapped around the compact sections and is secured thereon by a suitable flexible fabric cover (not shown) similar to that used upon umbrellas, and when thus arranged my improvement has the appearance of an umbrella with its cover on.

As the standards 1 and 2, which receive all the weight when used as a cane, are the only ones which touch the ground, the use of my improvement as a cane has no possible tendency to disarrange the compact arrangement of the sections.

Having thus described my invention and the manner of employing the same, what l desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A portable chair formed of two interlocking pairs of pivoted standards, the members of each pair being united by a tongs-joint nearer one extremity than the other, the said pairs having a pivotal connection at their lower extremities, as shown, and so arranged as to be compressible at pleasure into the form of a cane, the front and rear legs forming the upper portion of the said cane, and the seat and back frames forming the lower portion thereof, and means for suspending a seat and back fabric 9 upon said frames, substantially as described.

2. In a combined chair and cane, the combination of two pairs of tongs-jointed standards each pair of said standards having a pivoted connection nearer one extremity thereof than the other, and adapted for an interlocking union, whereby one of the said pairs forms the back-frame and fore legs of the chair, and the other pair forms the seat and rear legs thereof, and so arranged that when the said standards are compressed into parallel relation the said legs form the upper portion of a walking-stick or cane and the said seat and back frames form the lower portion thereof, constructed and arranged substantially as described.

The combination in a combined chair and cane of the upright standards 1 and 2 united nearest their lower end by a tongs joint or hinge, and having' at or near said joint a pivotal plate 10 for the purpose specified, and provided at their upper end with a telescoping connectingrod adapted to support the upper end of the seat fabric; the

IOO

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oblique standards and 4; pivotally united by a ton gs-j oint, and pivotally connected at their lower ends with the said upright standards, as shown, and provided at their forward ends with a telescoping` connecting-rod adapted to secure the lower end of the seat fabric; and

- the seat and back fabric 9 detaohably secured -to said rods, as described, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a combined chair and cane the hollow upright standards l and 2 pvotally united as shown by a tongs-joint, and provided with the pivoted supporting-plate l0, and with the cross-rod 7' having at its extremities the pivoted arms 1l and l2 for the purpose specied, and having` a telescoping connection with the standard l, in combination with the hollow oblique standards 3 and 4 pivotally united by a ton g-joint, and pi votallyv connected with said upright standards, as shown, and adapted for an interlocking engagement therewith; the rod 6 provided with terminal pivotal arms for the purpose specified, the said rod being telescopieally mounted in the standard 3; and the seat and back fabric 9 detachably mounted 25 on said rods, all substantially as described.

Signed by me, at Bluffton, county of Wells,

. and State of Indiana, this 16th day of March,

ARTHUR E. SPRINGSTED.

lVitnesses:

JACOB J. rloDD, EDWIN R. WILSON. 

